ANXIETY Dr. Martas Cheat sheet 1) Have a routine and try to stick to it. suggestions: Go to sleep and get up around the same time every day, plan your day ahead so you know what to expect, etc. 2) Dont rush yourself or try to expect 10 things to be done in one hour. Be reasonable. 3) Exercise!!!! I could bore you with medical, scientific, neurological and psychological studies or you can trust me. Exercise releases chemicals in your brain that help with anxiety. No need to do hours a day. Do simple things like park far away at the store, walk your dog, take the stairs instead of elevators, find an exercise you enjoy like. Just MOVE. 4) People that have anxiety often have unreasonable expectations. Write down what you want to get accomplished. Then write down what you NEED to get accomplished that day. Dont think about anything past that day. Small accomplishments lead to lowering anxiety, getting more done and feeling more satisfied with ones self. 5) people who suffer from anxiety often are control freaks.... layman terms.... concentrate on WHAT DO YOU HAVE CONTROL OVER instead of what is out of your hands. If there is traffic or if someone is being a jerk, that can cause anxiety. One has to remind themselves that it is not within their control. To give those things power can create anxiety. To cognitively let it go is a first step. 6) find ways to meditate. Breathing Exercises are one way to begin and imagery have also been helpful. Look on you tube for starter suggestions. 7) use your senses to self soothe like you did as a child. Examples ---> soothing smells (lavender), things to touch (favorite blanket), things to see that calm you (pictures from a happy time), calming sounds/music, drink some warm tea. 8) one of my favorites: pet therapy. If you like animals, let them sit next to you. They sense your mood. studies show they might sit calmly next to you and keep you company. 9) find a calm space. Loud, bright open spaces with too much stimulus is not great if youre anxious. Take a break. Not to escape and avoid. That isnt always good either. Go to this space just to regroup. Then return to life. 10) if you suffer from anxiety, talk to a mental health professional. You may benefit from medication. However, some can be highly addictive. Valium and Xanax are to be used with caution. Antidepressants are often used for anxiety. Cognitive behavioral therapy is best in conjunction with or without medication to learn coping skills to deal with anxiety and become EMPOWERED to deal when it rears its ugly head.
Posted on: Fri, 09 May 2014 03:23:15 +0000
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